At Last

I came home from a long day of class and turned on the tv. Luckily we have DVR so Marco was nice enough to record the coverage of the Neighborhood Ball for me. When President Obama and his wife Michelle came out and danced, it was beautiful. Beyonce was perfect singing Etta James’ “At Last.” And I cried, through the whole dance. Something about the dress, the song, the first dance, it was like Obama and the country had just gotten married. And I think that’s how most people felt, all of the hope, the love, the optimism of a new couple starting their life together. As you watch them take their first steps together, you realize the couple is heading into a union that will have its difficulties, yet through love, hard work, and faith, you know they will make it through. So to you President Obama, the country says “I do.”

Happy couples

I read an article on Yahoo today about things that happy couples do. According to the article, happy couples:
1. Talk to each other
2. Flirt
3. Get stupid together
4. Declare your independence
5. Share a spiritual moment.

It got me thinking of the things Marco and I do to stay a happy couple.
Considering the Yahoo article, I think most of them are really true. Marco and I definitely talk to each other. Sometimes with school and work we’re away from each other the whole day, so we always make an effort to talk in the evening. We take Vinnie to the coffee shop and sit outside, just catching up on our day. Or before going to sleep, we’ll spend time talking in bed, recounting the day’s events. I would say talking was important when we were dating, and it’s something we’ve kept up as we head into our 5th year of marriage.
Can you believe it’s going to be 5 years in May?!? So I must know what I’m talking about ;)
Anyways, back to the article, I think flirting is also really important. Maybe not flirting per se, but I think saying I love you and sharing affection at least once a day is key. Even if it’s just holding your partner’s hand when you walk, or telling them how nice they look today, keeps the spark alive, like when you first started dating.
And for Marco and me, laughing is a big deal. Having a good time, telling silly stories, and always joking around is something I love about our relationship. Of course there are many more things that go into a happy couple, but just my two cents on some of the things that work for us. What works for you?

Recovering from Winter Break

Yes, I know, it's been awhile. Again. But I blame it all on my crazy family.
Around the holidays I get to travel and see my family and my new family on Marco's side. And this often stresses me out. Marco and I laugh about it, but when we go to Las Vegas to see Marco's family, I have a relaxing time, while Marco is stressing it. And it's the opposite when we go to the Bay Area. I get all tense while Marco can hang back a bit. But I figure that's why we get to share presents with each other around this time of the year, if we didn't receive gifts from our family members, we'd end up choking each other. Presents make everything better :)

So enjoy the pics below of our travels. We spent some time in LA, Christmas in Las Vegas, and New Years in SF. Needless to say, my little Jetta is racking up the miles! And apparently the blog won’t accept more than 5 pictures (how dumb is that?!?) but I think you get the picture ;)


Vinnie in front of our Christmas tree. Even though we weren't going to be here for the actual day, Marco and I set up a real tree. I love the smell!

Marco's Mom and me, doing some shopping at the Las Vegas outlets. We spend a considerable amount of time at these outlets, and it's not all shopping. We like to take Vinnie because it's outdoors, so it gives us a chance to walk him. People love to stop and pet him and even take pictures with him. Yep, Vinnie is quite the celebrity!

Marco and Vinnie. You can feel the love.

Enjoying a chilly day at the Pier in San Francisco with my brother.

My Dad, Marco, and me in front of the skating rink at Union Square. I think the skating rink is fairly new, they usually have it down at the Embarcadero. But I think it was a nice touch. Really gives it that winter in the city feeling.